Ohio Bobcats
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ohio University features 20 varsity sports teams called the Bobcats. The Bobcats compete in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in all sports. The Bobcats were a charter member of the Mid-American Conference in 1946 and are the only team still in the conference from the original 5 team league that included Butler University, University of Cincinnati, Wayne State University, and Case Western Reserve University. Ohio's team colors are hunter green and white. All Bobcats sports compete at the highest possible level in the NCAA, with Ohio football competing in Division 1-A and other sports competing in Division 1.
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[edit] Athletics Administration
On June 29, 2005, Kirby Hocutt was named the new Director of Athletics at Ohio University by President Roderick J. McDavis. Prior to coming to Ohio, Hocutt had been at the University of Oklahoma for the previous six years, serving most recently as associate athletics director for external operations and sports administration. Upon hiring Hocutt, McDavis stated, "Kirby is the ideal person to lead Ohio University's athletics program to the next level. As a former college athlete, he views college athletics from a student-athlete's perspective and shares Ohio University's commitment to offering its student-athletes the best possible experience in the classroom and on the playing field." The Ohio Athletics Department features 5 associate athletics directors: Robert Andrey (Associate AD/Business and Internal Operations), Amy Dean (Senior Associate AD/Administration and Sport Programs), Chris Delisio (Associate AD/Program Advancement), Dan Hauser (Associate AD/Marketing and Promotions), and Derek Scott (Associate AD/Communications).
[edit] Football
The long and storied tradition of Ohio Bobcats football began in 1894 with an 8-0 loss to Marietta College. Since that day, the Bobcats have posted a 479-497-48 record over their 112 year existence and a 187-228-11 record over their 60 years in the Mid-American Conference. The Bobcats have won 5 MAC Football Championships in 1953, 1960, 1963, 1967, and 1968, and a MAC East Division Championship in 2006. Prior to joining the MAC, the Bobcats won 6 Buckeye Athletic Association Championships in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1936, and 1938. In 1960, the Bobcats were crowned National Small College Champions after compiling a 10-0 record under Coach Bill Hess. The Bobcats have appeared in three bowl games, losing 15-14 to West Texas State in the 1962 Sun Bowl, losing 49-42 to Richmond in the 1968 Tangerine Bowl, and most recently falling 28-7 to the Southern Mississippi in the 2007 GMAC Bowl.
Ohio's home football games are played at Peden Stadium. Located on the south end of Ohio University's campus in Athens, Ohio, the venue has a seating capacity of 24,000. The stadium was built in 1929 and is the oldest college football stadium in the Mid-American Conference and among the oldest in the nation. Many recent renovation and expansion efforts, though, have allowed the stadium to keep pace with the ever-changing landscape of college football stadiums. As such, Peden Stadium, nicknamed "The Wrigley Field of College Football", is considered among the best college football facilities in the Mid-American Conference and the nation. Peden Stadium brought in its largest crowd on September 9, 2005, when 24,545 fans were in attendance to watch the Bobcats defeat the University of Pittsburgh Panthers 16-10. Ohio is consistently one of the attendance leaders in the Mid-American Conference and has the ability to draw good crowds, win or lose.
Some of Ohio's famous football coaches include Don Peden, Bill Hess, Jim Grobe, and current head coach Frank Solich. Don Peden coached from 1924-1946, compiling a 121-46-11 record, good for a winning percentage of .711 that still stands as the best ever for an Ohio football coach. Peden's teams won a total of 6 Buckeye Athletic Association Championships in his tenure and left a lasting mark on the program when the Bobcat's football stadium, Peden Stadium, was named in his honor following his retirement. Bill Hess's time at Ohio was equally impressive. Coaching from 1958-1977, Hess had a 108-91-4 record, giving him a winning percentage of .542 that is second only to Peden on Ohio's all-time list. Coach Hess's teams won 4 MAC Championships, participated in 2 bowl games, and won a National Small College Championship in 1960 after having an undefeated season. Former Ohio Coach Jim Grobe took the helm of the Bobcats program in 1995, inheriting a squad that winless in the previous season. Grobe quickly turned the program around, as his teams went 8-3 in 1997 and 7-4 in 2000. Coach Grobe had a 33-33-1 record in his time at Ohio, good for a .500 winning percentage that is fourth among all Ohio football coaches. After the 2000 football season, Grobe took a job as head football coach at Wake Forest University.
Frank Solich was named the 28th football coach of the Bobcats on December 16, 2004. Prior to coming to Ohio, Solich spent many years as a part of the University of Nebraska football program, as a player, an assistant coach, and later as the head coach. Solich was head coach of the Cornhuskers from 1998-2003 where he directed Nebraska to 6 consecutive bowl games, including the national championship game in the 2002 Rose Bowl. Solich's impact on the Ohio program was immediate, as plans were put in place to renovate Ohio's football facilities and increase financial support for the football program. Also, Ohio was selected to appear on national television 6 times for the 2005 football season, a record for the program. Frank Solich's first home game as coach of Ohio was a memorable one, as Peden Stadium brought in its largest ever crowd to watch the Bobcats defeat the University of Pittsburgh Panthers 16-10.
Under the guidance of Frank Solich, the Ohio football program has enjoyed a return to national prominence in 2006. On November 16, 2006 the Bobcats secured their first ever Mid-American Conference East Division title and their first football championship of any sort since 1968 with a victory over the University of Akron Zips. They then advanced to the MAC Championship Game in Detroit, Michigan, where they were defeated by Cenral Michigan 31-10. On January 7, 2007, the Bobcats acted as the MAC representative in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, losing 28-7 to the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in a game nationally televised on ESPN.
[edit] Ohio All-Time Players in the NFL
Russell Kepler—Halfback—1933-1936 Cleveland Rams, Boston Shamrocks
William Snyder—Guard—1934-1935 Pittsburgh Pirates
Lenny Sadosky—Halfback—1935-1936 Cleveland Rams
Art Lewis—Tackle—1936 New York Giants; 1938-1939 Cleveland Rams
Robert Snyder—Quarterback—1936 Pittsburgh Pirates; 1937-1938 Cleveland Rams; 1938-1941,1943 Chicago Bears
Paul Halleck—End—1937 Cleveland Rams
Len Janiak—Back—1940-1942 Cleveland Rams
Chet Adams—Tackle—1939-1942 Cleveland Rams; 1943 Green Bay Packers; 1946-1948 Cleveland Browns; 1949 Buffalo Bisons
John Fekete—Back—1946 Buffalo Bisons
Vince Costello—Linebacker—1957-1966 Cleveland Browns; 1967-1968 New York Giants
Robert Harrison—Back—1961 Baltimore Colts
Dick Grecni—Linebacker—1961 Minnesota Vikings
Robert Brooks—Back—1961New York Titans
Alan Miller—Linebacker—1962-1963 Washington Redskins
Chuck Turner—Tackle—1966 Buffalo Bills
Todd Snyder—Wide Receiver—1969-1973 Atlanta Falcons
Jack Leveck—Linebacker—1973-1975 St. Louis Cardinals; 1976 Chicago Bears
Dave Green—Punter—1972-1975 Cincinnati Bengals; 1976-1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Green—Punter—1976 Miami Dolphins; 1977 Houston Oilers
Brian Bertoia—Offensive Lineman—1985 Cleveland Browns
Jason Carthen—Linebacker—1993 Buffalo Bills; New England Patriots
Darren Reese—Offensive Lineman—1994 New York Giants; 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars
Andy Canter—Offensive Lineman—1995 Philadelphia Eagles
Dave Zastudil—Punter—2002-2005 Baltimore Ravens; 2006-Present Cleveland Browns
Chad Brinker—Running Back/Returner—2003 New York Jets
Kevin Carberry—Defensive End—2005 Cleveland Browns
Chip Cox—Defensive Back—2005 Detroit Lions; 2007-Present Washington Redskins
Dion Byrum—Cornerback—2006-Present Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers
All players in BOLD are current NFL players.
[edit] Ohio's All Americans
Cleve Bryant--1968
Todd Snyder--1968
Ken Carmon--1968
John Frick--1966
Skip Hoovler--1963
Bob Brooks--1960
Dick Grecni--1960
Vince Costello--1952
Al Scheider--1951
John Kerns--1946
Danny Risaliti--1940
Art Lewis--1935
Lenard Sadosky--1932
[edit] Men's Basketball
One of Ohio's most successful varsity sports is its men's basketball program. The first Ohio basketball game occurred in 1907 when the Bobcats defeated the Parkersburg YMCA 46-9. Since that day, Ohio has posted a .565 winning percentage over their 100 year history and a .564 winning percentage in their 61 years in the Mid-American Conference. The Bobcats have won 4 Mid-American Conference Tournament titles in 1983, 1985, 1994 and 2005 as well as 9 MAC regular season titles in 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1972, 1974,1985, and 1994. In addition, Ohio has played in the NCAA Tournament 11 times, appearing in 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1994, and 2005. The Bobcats have been selected for the National Invitation Tournament 4 times in 1941, 1969, 1986, and 1995, finishing as runner up in 1941. In addition, the Bobcats won the prestigious Pre-Season National Invitation Tournament in 1994. As a result of the storied tradition of Ohio Bobcats basketball, the program was recently ranked 86th in Street & Smith's 100 Greatest Basketball Programs of All Time, published in 2005.
Ohio's home basketball games are played at The Convocation Center. Located on the south end of Ohio University's campus in Athens, Ohio, the venue has a seating capacity of 13,080. The arena was completed in 1968 and is the largest basketball facility in the Mid-American Conference and one of the largest in the nation. The "O-Zone" student cheering section helps to make the "Convo" one of the most hostile environments in the nation, and they are widely regarded as the best student section in the MAC. Thanks in part to this great atmosphere, the Bobcats have won over 75% of their home games since the opening of The Convo. Prior to playing at the Convo, Ohio basketball games were first played in Bentley Hall and then at Grover Center, two buildings that today exist as office space and classrooms for the university. The Convocation Center brought in its largest crowd on February 28, 1970, when 14,102 fans were in attendance to watch the Bobcats men's basketball team defeat the Bowling Green Falcons 77-76. Ohio is consistently one of the attendance leaders in the Mid-American Conference and has the ability to draw good crowds, win or lose.
Some of Ohio's famous men's basketball coaches include Jim Snyder, Danny Nee, and Larry Hunter. Jim Snyder led the Bobcats for 26 years (1949-1974) and helped Ohio to 7 NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT appearance. Snyder's teams compiled a 355-255 record, good for a .581 winning percentage. Former Ohio Coach Danny Nee led Ohio for 7 years from 1980-1986. Nee helped rebuild the program from several years of losing records, and he helped lead the team to 2 MAC Tournament titles, 2 NCAA Tournament appearances, and one NIT appearance. Following Nee's tenure at Ohio, he took a job as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Today Nee is head coach of the Duquesne University Dukes. Larry Hunter served as head coach of Ohio from 1989-2001, compiling a winning percentage of .580 (204-148). His teams made one NCAA Tournament appearance in 1994, an NIT appearance in 1995, and won the Pre-Season NIT in 1994. Despite his good record as coach of the Bobcats, Hunter was relieved of his duties in 2001 for a lack of postseason success. Today, Hunter is head coach of the Western Carolina University Catamounts.
Ohio's current head coach is Tim O'Shea. Coach O'Shea arrived at Ohio in 2001 after 4 seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Boston College. He came to Athens on March 29, 2001 and vowed to take the Ohio men's basketball program to what he called the "next level". This next level was realized in 2005 as he led to Bobcats to a 21-11 record, a MAC Tournament Title, and an NCAA Tournament appearance in which 13 seed Ohio nearly upset 4 seed Florida.
[edit] Ohio's All-Time NBA Draft Selections
Frank Baumholtz-1946 Cleveland
Richard Schrider-1948 New York
Howard Jolliff-1960 Minneapolis
Larry Kruger-1961 Cincinnati
Ken Kowall-1971 Philadelphia
John Devereaux-1984 San Antonio
Paul "Snoopy" Graham-1991 Atlanta
[edit] Olympic Sports
Ohio's volleyball team has been steadily increasing in popularity. Under the direction of Coach Geoff Carlston, the team has won 4 consecutive Mid-American Conference Titles and made 4 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. In 2005, the team made the "sweet 16" of the NCAA tournament.
Ohio's women's swimming and diving team consistently has won numerous MAC Championships. The Aquatic Center, one of the finest swimming and diving facilities in the league and in the nation, has hosted numerous MAC Swimming and Diving Tournaments.
The Bobcat's wrestling team has a long and storied history and the team has found itself in the national top 25 many times over the years. Recent graduate Jake Percival was a four time All-American.
The Ohio baseball program has won numerous MAC titles and made a College World Series appearance in 1970. There have been a total of 23 Bobcats in the major leagues.
Other varsity teams at Ohio University include:
- Women's Basketball
- Men's Cross Country
- Women's Cross Country
- Men's Golf
- Women's Golf
- Women's Indoor Track and Field
- Women's Outdoor Track and Field
- Women's Field Hockey
- Women's Soccer
- Softball
[edit] Facilities
Ohio's athletic facilities are among the finest in the Mid-American Conference and the nation. The names of the facilities and the teams that utilize them are as follows:
- Peden Stadium (Football)
- Convocation Center (Basketball, Volleyball, Wrestling)
- Bob Wren Stadium (Baseball)
- Ohio Softball Field (Softball)
- Aquatic Center (Swimming and Diving)
- Chessa Field (Women's Soccer)
- Pruitt Field (Field Hockey
- Goldsberry Track (Track and Field)
[edit] Rivalries
Ohio's archrival is Miami University. "The Battle of the Bricks" is an annual all-sports rivalry competition between the Ohio Bobcats and the Miami RedHawks athletic programs. The name "Battle of the Bricks" evolved from each school's reputation of having a campus of red brick buildings. Each varsity athletic competition in which the Bobcats and RedHawks meet including tournament play is counted as part of the years series record. At the conclusion of each academic year, the school with the most varsity wins takes the trophy back to their campus for the following year.
Another Ohio rival is Marshall University. The annual football game between Ohio and Marshall is called "The Battle for the Bell", with a traveling bell trophy as the prize for the victor. Due to Marshall's recent move to Conference USA, this rivalry game has will not be played for several years. However, athletics officials at each school are working to continue this annual series in the non-conference season.
Recently, new rivalries have begun to develop for the Bobcats. Due to Ohio's recent basketball success, the University of Akron Zips have become major rivals for Ohio in men's basketball. The rivalry has become quite heated, resulting in arrests and several ejections. Here is a recent history of the developing rivalry:
2002: The Zips, led by head coach Dan Hipsher, beat the Bobcats on a buzzer beater by the coach's son, Andy. Andy immediately runs over to the O Zone, grabbing his crotch and flipping the double deuce. At least one Ohio student is arrested in the succeeding fracas.
2003: Hipsher and the Zips return to The Convo, and the O Zone is ready, yelling and chanting every time Andy touches the ball. Egged on by a pumped-up Brandon Hunter, the crowd stays energized through the second overtime, when Hipsher appears to have won the game on another buzzer beater. Hipsher is taunting the O Zone again when it is waved off. The Bobcats finally prevail in the fourth overtime. Dan's wife complains to the OUPD of harassment, resulting in several ejections.
2004: Ohio cruises to an easy victory against the Zips. Amid rumors of Dan Hipsher's firing, the O Zone serenades the Akron bench with "Fire Hipsher!" Dan's mom gives the O Zone a one-fingered salute. After the end of the season, Hipsher is canned.
2005: In a game that would help cost the Bobcats the regular season championship, the Zips crush the Bobcats by 20 and led by as much as 30 during the game. The Zips were led by a freshman named Bubba Walther, who taunted the O Zone.
2006: In the conference opener for Ohio, the Bobcats come from behind to win a close game. During the game, referee Teddy Valentine (the same one that angered Bob Knight enough to throw a chair) assesses a technical warning to the O Zone for "profane behavior." Bubba Walther later announces his transfer to Ohio. A writer for the Akron student paper accuses Ohio of "Chris Webber-level" NCAA violations (no violations were ever found to occur). At the return game at Akron, the AK-Rowdies chant "Who needs Bubba?" as the Zips win on ESPN2.
2007: After a close game the Bobcats win another round of the rivalry before a wildly charged O Zone, 77-72. The two met in Akron later in the season and Akron destroyed the Bobcats, 79-48.
[edit] Ohio Athletics Traditions
Ohio is a tradition-rich school, and many of those traditions are associated with athletics events, especially football. Some Ohio traditions include:
- Rufus the Bobcat - The school mascot, a fierce yet friendly looking Bobcat that always sports an Ohio jersey with a number "1" on the back.
- The Ohio University Marching 110 - "The Most Exciting Band in the Land" is widely regarded as one of the best in the nation and was ranked by Link Magazine in 1996 as one of the Top 10 college marching bands in the nation. They perform at every Ohio home football game and have marched at other events such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and numerous NFL games.
- "Stand Up and Cheer" - Ohio's fight song
- "Alma Mater, Ohio" - Ohio's alma mater song
- Salute to the Students - Following every Ohio home football game, win or lose, Ohio football players head to the student section to thank the Bobcat's most ravid fans for attending.
- The Cannon - After every Ohio score, an 1800s style military cannon is fired. When the Bobcats enter the field, the cannon shoots off a smoke "O" that can be seen for several minutes before fading into the air.
- The "O-Zone" - The student cheering section at every Ohio men's basketball game. Widely regarded as the best student section in the conference and one of the best in the nation, their "Winning Team, Losing Team" chant is recognizable by college basketball fans everywhere.
- Tail-Great Park - The park across from Peden Stadium is transformed for every home football game into "Tail-Great Park". The park features kid's games, live music, and tailgating everywhere the eye can see on gameday.
- Homecoming Parade - The annual homecoming parade at Ohio begins in downtown Athens and ends in the Peden Stadium parking lot just in time for the big game. Always on a Saturday afternoon, homecoming is always one of the highest attended games of the football season.
[edit] External links
- Official Ohio University Athletics Website
- Giving to Ohio Athletics
- Ohio Green & White Club - Supporting Ohio Bobcats Athletics
- Unofficial Ohio Bobcats Fan Website
- Mid-American Conference Sports Fan Website
- Official Website of the Mid-American Conference
- Ohio Sports Time blog - covers all 6 Ohio MAC schools
| Mid-American Conference |
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| EAST: Akron • Bowling Green • Buffalo • Kent State • Miami • Ohio • Temple (football only) WEST: Ball State • Central Michigan • Eastern Michigan • Northern Illinois • Toledo • Western Michigan |
